I have very little experience with Indian food, so there's a significant intimidation factor--fear of the unknown. I bought this and then let it sit in my freezer for several months, because every time I thought about trying it, I found some easier, more familiar choice.
Well, tonight I finally threw caution to the wind and selected it for my weekly dinner with Nina. (At the last minute, I had to run to Trader Joe's to buy a second one, because I had not realized that each box is just one serving.)
And the verdict is...
I like it! I was very pleasantly surprised. It's just about at the top of the range of spiciness that I can enjoy, before it starts feeling oppressive and unpleasant. The rice is nice, and the ratio of the "meat" sauce to rice is perfect. The fake meat is a little chewy, but it works fine in this context.
It makes me happy to try something new and have it be not just less awful than I feared, but substantially better than I would have imagined. I have a whole new thing to like!
Will I buy it again?
Absolutely. It's the centerpiece of a quick, easy, and tasty meal to share with my vegetarian girlfriend.
This is seriously my favorite trader joe meal!! (Well, probably tied with the japanese fried rice but that's not really a meal) I like to flop the whole thing over a bowl of fresh baby spinach which gets a bit wilty and adds some veg. I wish they sold jars of this sauce....
ReplyDeleteTtrockwood